Roasted Vegetable Soup with Brioche Croutons

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled
• 1 pound parsnips, peeled
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled
• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and seeded
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Brioche Croutons

• 6 ounces brioche loaf or challah
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small.
3. Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 sheet pans. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.
4. In a large saucepan, heat 3 cups of chicken stock. 
5. Coarsely puree the vegetables and the chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade (or use a handheld blender). 
6. Pour the soup back into the pot and season, to taste. 
7. Thin with more chicken stock and reheat. 
8. The soup should be thick but not like a vegetable puree, so add more chicken stock and/or water until it's the consistency you like.

Brioche Croutons

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the bread about 3/4-inch thick. 
3. Cut off the crusts and then cut the slices in 3/4-inch dice. You should have 3 to 4 cups of croutons.
4. Place the croutons on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing once, until they're nicely browned on all sides. 
6. Cool to room temperature before using and store in a sealed plastic bag.

Notes
Top with Brioche Croutons and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Total Time: 30 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Level: Easy

Source
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-vegetable-soup-recipe2.html

Pineapple Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients 

• crushed pineapple 
• Extra Virgin olive oil 
• S&P 
• honey 
• apple cider vinegar 

Directions 

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. 
2. Serve immediately.

Pineapple Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 20 crushed pineapple
• ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup Sprite

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine soda, pineapple, soy sauce and brown sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves.
2. Add chicken to marinade.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Remove chicken from fridge and preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, turning once, until the chicken is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
5. Slice chicken on the bias.

Notes
If shorter time, puncture chicken to allow marinade to get in. Pan sear for caramelized crust on chicken pieces.

Source
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2014/09/pineapple-grilled-chicken-recipe.html

Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Mince the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill). Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or heavy duty zip top bag and pour the marinade over top. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours. (You can do this before you leave for work in the morning.)
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the chicken and marinade into a baking dish. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Use a spoon or baster to bathe the chicken with the juices from the bottom of the dish once or twice during baking.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven after 45 minutes and sprinkle a handful of freshly chopped parsley over top.

Source
http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/balsamic-chicken-thighs

Slow Cooker BBQ Apricot Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 1 cup barbecue sauce 
• 1 1/2 cups apricot jam 
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 3 pound pork roast (boneless pork shoulder roast ) 
• 2 ounces dry onion soup mix

Instructions

1. Combine BBQ sauce, jam, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, onion soup mix in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place pork roast in slow cooker.
4. Pour sauce over meat. Cook for 8-10 hours on high.
5. Shred meat with 2 forks and stir into sauce, cook for 1 more hour.

Source
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/07/slow-cooker-bbq-apricot-pulled-pork-sandwich-recipe.html